Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Road I Take ❯ Goodmorning, Goodnight. ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The eldest girl in the class, way older than any of the students currently attending, she only attended because she was instructed to by her sensei. He said that it would help her with her studies in ninja even though she knew everything the practical side had to offer and could preform the simple jitsu’s single-handed. Literally. But the classes were more for the studies about ninja, all of the stuff unable to preform with a few hand seals. Her study was of the codes and history of ninja and hell, was it boring. But it was just one of those things that just had to be done.

She sat bored, looking down at the kids in the class preforming their jitsu’s one by one, calling out the transform technique name, disappearing in a poof of smoke in an attempt to change himself or herself into a copy of the teacher, Iruka-sensei. The older kids had already graduated from class and now the New Year had already started. It has been three months since I had started my studies and it was getting increasingly harder to concentrate. She glanced down at the book, sighing, attempting to make herself concentrate on the Hokage history. Scanning her eyes on the book for after only a moment, she found them unfocusing again and dropped her head onto the book. She closed her eyes out of boredom, listening to the yells and soft explosions of the transforming children and it wasn’t long before she had fallen asleep.

He knew how hard she worked at those books. He waved his class of students out the door as the bell went, reminding them to keep on practicing what they had learned so far. He sighed in relief after another stressful day, walking back to his desk to sort out his assessment papers. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up into the ascending rows of bench desks and smiled slightly as he found her still there, head bowed and buried in her arms which were circled around her head. He stepped up beside her and picked up the stack of papers, which were the notes she had taken on the textbook, he had given her to study and was amazed. It had to be a wad of paper of nearly twenty pages and if that weren’t enough, the scribble was tiny and on some of the pages she had halved lines and doubled the amount of notes on them. He smiled. She would have out done even Sasuke and Sakura if she had come but a few months earlier in the year.

Awakening to being shaken softly, she lifted her head to smiling eyes, yawning softly.

“Sorry Iruka-Sensei, I fell asleep again, didn’t I?”

He laughed lightly.

“That’s quite alright. You’ve already done more than I’d expected you to do. You go on home now and take tomorrow off too, but come to see me in the morning so you can get these back after I’ve marked them.”

Nodding her head slightly, she stood, collecting the textbook and jacket and quickly walked out the door, sliding it shut behind her. ‘I can’t believe I fell asleep again’ she thought to herself, worried about her studies and she was annoyed to think that maybe Iruka was being nice and more lenient because of her tragic history.

Five years had passed, three of those were spent trying to find the will to simply survive and live on. She had been closely watched by Iruka-sensei and he had taken her along to many of his classes when he could and when he couldn’t someone was left to baby sit. And then slowly she started to respond, as if waking from a bad dream; she had finally seen some hope in her life and had talked for the first time in two and a half years. The first words that had come from her mouth were “M-my name is Ritsuko” in a small voice and she made an effort to smile slightly. In his shock, Iruka’s mouth gaped, a small amount of food tumbled from his mouth and back onto his plate. Recovering, he quickly swallowed and managed to smile, overjoyed at the sudden response, his eyes creasing in the process “It’s nice to meet you, Ritsuko”. It wasn’t long until she was seen fit to be given her own apartment, it really was a happy day for both her and Iruka. He had given her a farewell gift of a fairly potted plant that had bought forth a beautiful red flower, which gave off the sweetest smell.

She quickly arrived home to her small apartment, opening the door to the small lounge room on her right, which led off, and adjoining dining table on the right with a kitchen right behind it. Dropping the book onto the coffee table in front of the couch Ritsuko went to the kitchen, retrieving a cup of water and walked back past the coffee table to a low window ledge where the plant was stationed in the glow of the evenings last light. Walking back to briefly dry and put the cup away she stared at her calendar, noticing that tomorrow was coloured in. It was red. It was the beginning of the end of the beginning. Like the saying it never ended. There wasn’t one day where she wouldn’t go without thinking about it, if only a little while. And now it was going to be the five-year anniversary of that horrible day from the hours of nightmare she was pulled into the little light known as Konoha.

She blinked, coming out of her reverie, remembering she still had to go down the street to get a few items for dinner before the shops all closed. Grabbing her keys, she closed the door behind her quickly and headed toward the stalls, hoping it wasn’t too late to make her urgent purchases otherwise it was instant ramen again for dinner. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, but there is a point when it becomes too much and you get sick of eating the same old thing day after day. As she was approaching she saw a shopkeeper she knew, picking up a sign usually kept out front and pulling it inside

“Yuki-sama!” She called, dancing around a few people to run up to the older man outside his shop

“Ahhh, Ritsuko-Chan, it’s nice to see you again. How are things?” Politely she bowed and grinned

“Very well Yuki-sama, I just dropped by to pick up some things, is that ok?”

She was hoping he wasn’t going to play any games like he usually did when she came around. She always got an uneasy feeling of being venerable to danger when she was out at night and so tried her best to be inside before it was dark. He smiled and turned slightly to let her through the door.

“Of course, just tell me when you’re ready, I’ll just finish up bring these signs inside and…” His voice trailed off as he wandered outside to the signs. Ritsuko rushed about the store and picked up a few select things she needed so she wouldn’t be bothersome to the old man. She paid him after he had hobbled behind the counter, putting the items through on his cash register. She thanked him continuously for letting her get some things after open hours and departed, bowing and waving goodbye as he closed the door.

With the brown grocery bag handing from her arms and almost tripped over a stray cat on the path and had to tip toe around it to keep from overbalancing and falling. However, once she was around, her foot struck heavy on a lump of rock on the ground and tumbled over, landing on her knees and hands. She sighed as she sat back on her knees, brushing her hands together to rid of the stones. Groaning loudly, seeing her part of her bag of groceries scattered out on the path. An escaping orange was still rolling down the soft slope of the path but suddenly stopped as a hand scooped it up. She curiously looked up at the shadowed man who had saved her the problem of chasing after a rogue orange, the fading light giving him a mysterious air about him. She immediately felt uncomfortable in the slowly descending darkness and unconsciously felt for her hidden kunai, somehow feeling comforted knowing they were there in arms reach.

He walked up the path towards her, picking up more things as he went and she found herself moving again, picking up her grocery bag and a few close by things. After replacing all of her shopping in her bag she bowed slightly thanking him, taking the time to study his unusual face. A shock of light hair stuck out from his leaf forehead protector which fell slightly over one side of his face, covering his left eye. It was complete with a facemask, leaving the only part of his face visible his right eye, to go together with his jounin outfit. His eye creased and from that she could tell he was smiling, hand behind his head in a dorky style of an amused embarrassment from such praise- and from such a pretty young lady for that fact.

“No need to thank me, it was a pleasure” he said, turning on his charm. “Here I will walk you home. It’s getting late and you don’t know who or what could be lurking in an alleyway”

He gently lifted the bag from Ritsuko’s arms. She looked at him in confusion but none the less let him assist her and let go of the bag, nodding and smiling. She turned and started walking. Walking beside her he grinned on the inside ‘So far so good.’ He blinked as he realised she was talking to him. “Hello, anyone home?” She looked around at him curiously ‘daydreaming again’ she thought to herself before replying.

“I’m sorry. It’s nice to meet you Miss Sohma Ritsuko” He felt a strange tingle of familiarity at the name, but shrugged it off “My name is Hatake Kakashi. A Jounin and teacher of Konoha.”He said proudly, looking for a surprised reaction at the sound of his name. Her look was anything but surprise, but it was more of a look of admiration. She chuckled, amusement dancing in the dark blue depths of her eyes.

“And to think the legendary Copy-Cat Sharingan Kakashi, a most ferocious and ruthless ninja is on the street in the late evening, helping a helping hand to those in need” He looked hurt, but the same amusement was evident in his own shimmering pools. “I’m a really nice and charitable man, once you get to know me.“

There was a short silence, which was quickly filled with the snickering of the two as they turned the corner onto another street. A little way down she turned to a small unit walking silently up the steps. Taking the groceries from his hands she unlocked the door, but just before going inside she turned to him and bowed once again, thanking him for his assistance and wished the young man goodnight.

He watched as she closed the door, smiling until the door clicked closed ‘I should have asked her out’ he thought to himself, disappointed at himself for not thinking of it sooner and turned from the small house and set out once again to where he was originally going. ‘Oh crap, I’m late!’ he jumped away quickly to keep his students from waiting any longer. The night training session was his own idea to get his students used to fighting in the dark and he planned to try to be on time for this one. But no matter how hard he tried something would always come up. This time he would be really telling the truth when he came to telling them his excuse, but he knew they wouldn’t believe him as always.

After successfully making her dinner with her newly acquired ingredients, she made it to bed and fell into a troubled slumber. It was like, it was all replayed into her mind, and every horrifying detail was as new to her as it was five years ago. The pooling blood reflecting the sky, the screams, the sound of crashing as buildings fell from the heavy structural damage as they burned down, the pain, agony and the hopelessness she felt. It all came back, replayed all in slow motion as every detail was burned into her mind. And then they died again.


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Ok, i couldn't wait so i put this one up as well. As originally wrote this all as a continuing piece, but i decided to break it up into smaller parts to make it easier to post and then it wouldn't take so long between chapters. Mind you guys i've taken a break from it as it's school holidays, but i usually write it while im at school for some recreational time. It looks like im using the computer for work when im really not XD

Kakashi: *bonks on head* No wonder your grades are starting to slip.
Rhea: Itai... But its the last term.. And i'll still pass, and then that shiney new laptop that dad promised me will be mine! Mine i tell you!
Kakashi: *Sigh* You never learn...
Rhea: hehehe *grins thinking about her shiney new computer*

Thankyou all and please review!! Ja ne!